After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Yu Qingtang lowered her eyes, looking at the ground beneath her feet, unsure what she was thinking.
Cheng Zhanxi didn't press further. She pushed the cart over and asked softly, "Shall we go buy vegetables?"
Yu Qingtang hummed in agreement, lifted her eyelids, her expression showing no abnormality.
Vegetables couldn't be kept fresh for long; it was best to buy and cook them the same day. Cheng Zhanxi picked a bunch of bok choy and a bunch of shepherd's purse, plus a small pumpkin that looked very sweet.
Cheng Zhanxi held the small golden pumpkin in her palm, smiling as she asked Yu Qingtang, "Do you want soup or stir-fry?"
Yu Qingtang pursed her lips, not speaking.
It wasn't that she didn't want to answer, more like she didn't know which answer was better.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled, answering her own question, "Let me make you pumpkin rice. This little golden pumpkin is just right. Has Teacher Yu eaten pumpkin rice before?"
Yu Qingtang shook her head, a slight sparkle lighting up her eyes.
"I'll let you taste the master chef's skills later." Cheng Zhanxi placed the round little golden pumpkin into the cart.
Cheng Zhanxi picked some more fresh fruit. She led Yu Qingtang around the fruit and vegetable section. Even when there was nothing left to buy, she walked slowly, asking Yu Qingtang what she liked and disliked, although Yu Qingtang's monotonous replies of "It's okay" and "Anything is fine" didn't surprise her.
Leaving the fruit and vegetable section, they went to the dazzling snack aisles.
Yu Qingtang didn't hold Cheng Zhanxi's arm again. She walked half a step behind Cheng Zhanxi, reaching out to grab a corner of her hem. Like a very small child following an adult after making a mistake.
Cheng Zhanxi's steps paused almost imperceptibly. Seeing her silent expression from the corner of her eye, a sour feeling surged in her heart, almost making her eyes redden.
She wondered if she had done something wrong, why she was so eager to make her recognize the difference between friends and lovers.
Now, she didn't even dare to approach her unrestrainedly.
Clearly, she could have taken it slowly, couldn't she?
Cheng Zhanxi slowed her pace, calmed her mood, stopped in front of the refrigerated yogurt shelf, trying her best to make her voice sound normal, "Didn't Teacher Yu want to buy yogurt?"
Yu Qingtang retracted her gaze from Cheng Zhanxi's back and hummed in agreement.
She released Cheng Zhanxi's hem, casually picked up a bottle from the shelf, checked the production date, and placed it in the cart.
"Doesn't Teacher Yu have a preferred brand?"
"No."
"Then shall I recommend one for you?"
"..."
Cheng Zhanxi put that bottle of yogurt back, picked up another brand, and said, "This one, the texture is good." She looked at Yu Qingtang with smiling eyes, "What do you think?"
Yu Qingtang didn't think much of it; they were all the same, so she nodded indifferently.
It was just that after Cheng Zhanxi skillfully completed this series of actions, a thought popped into her mind: Teacher Cheng really seemed like a salesperson, the kind who promotes voluntarily without commission.
Yu Qingtang also needed to buy bread, but she was used to going to the bakery. Anyway, she didn't need it tonight; she could buy it on the way home from school tomorrow.
Before entering the snack section, Cheng Zhanxi rearranged the existing items in the cart, freeing up more than half the space.
Yu Qingtang glanced at it, feeling it was a bit exaggerated.
Like a general leading troops, Cheng Zhanxi led the little soldier Yu Qingtang into the battlefield. When Yu Qingtang went to the supermarket, besides buying necessities, she didn't browse other sections. This was the first time she realized there were so many kinds of snacks.
And these were just the ones on the shelves; there were even more online.
Seaweed, potato chips, shrimp crackers, meat jerky, shredded squid, dried figs, braised duck feet, beef tendon, shredded beef...
The empty space in the cart filled up bit by bit. After Cheng Zhanxi put in four boxes of different flavored Pocky, it was almost level with the edge.
Yu Qingtang said, "That's enough."
Cheng Zhanxi straightened up, holding a pack of Weilong latiao.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Cheng Zhanxi tossed the latiao into the cart, clapped her hands, and smiled, "Alright, we'll buy more when these are finished."
The two stood before the shelf, the cart beside them filled to the brim.
"I'm so tired." Cheng Zhanxi, half sighing, half acting cute, placed both hands on Yu Qingtang's shoulders, leaned forward, rested her chin in her shoulder nook, hanging on her to rest.
Yu Qingtang's body stiffened slightly, her hands hanging by her sides.
Cheng Zhanxi shifted a bit more of her weight. Yu Qingtang couldn't stand steadily, had to take a small step back, and wrapped her arms around her waist, becoming her human pillow.
Cheng Zhanxi rested for a while, still looking somewhat tired. She pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "Could Teacher Yu help me push the cart for a bit?"
Yu Qingtang naturally agreed.
Cheng Zhanxi had been pushing the cart the whole way. She had wanted to help but hadn't found a chance; Cheng Zhanxi had naturally taken on the task entirely.
On the way to the checkout counter, Yu Qingtang pushed the cart with both hands. Cheng Zhanxi walked beside her, one hand gripping the fabric of her left trench coat sleeve—a different kind of hand-holding—while the other hand occasionally adjusted her collar or tucked away stray strands of hair by her ear.
At the counter, they coincidentally encountered that couple again, two places ahead of them in line.
Cheng Zhanxi and the taller woman exchanged a smile, then each turned their gaze to the woman beside them.
Yu Qingtang was spacing out.
The line gradually shortened. Cheng Zhanxi reached the checkout counter, took the items out one by one, pushed the cart out, and moved aside to let Yu Qingtang go out too, waiting outside the counter.
"Need plastic bags?" the cashier asked, skillfully scanning the barcodes.
"Yes, thank you."
Everything was packed into large plastic bags, two in total. Yu Qingtang went to lift the one containing the pork ribs, other meats, and vegetables. Her arm and shoulder sank under the weight.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled, took it from her hand, took the milk out of the other plastic bag to carry separately, and gestured for her to take the lighter bag.
Yu Qingtang didn't try to be strong, lifting the bag full of snacks. She reached out to Cheng Zhanxi, "Give me the milk."
Cheng Zhanxi handed it back to her.
The two spent over half an hour in the supermarket. After retrieving their stored bags and leaving, the sky outside was almost completely dark. Streetlights were on, traffic flowed endlessly on the streets, and neon lights flickered.
Cheng Zhanxi found the old woman selling water chestnuts by the steps. The streetlight cast light from behind, hitting her diagonally, falling into the bamboo basket in front of her, casting a shadow.
About six or seven jin of water chestnuts remained in the basket; four jin were peeled, the rest still had skin.
Cheng Zhanxi bought them all. The deposit was enough; she didn't ask for change. The old woman refused, took out a handful of crumpled small bills from her waist pouch, counted out eighteen yuan and fifty cents for her, anxiously speaking dialect the whole time.
Yu Qingtang translated for her from the side, "She said if you don't take it, she won't leave. She can't take advantage of a kind person."
Cheng Zhanxi had no choice but to accept it. She squatted down to help the old woman tidy her stall, helped her up, and watched her walk into the vast night carrying the bamboo basket.
Cheng Zhanxi was already carrying the heavy bag, and now had an extra seven jin of water chestnuts.
Yu Qingtang: "Should we go back to the supermarket and ask for delivery?"
Cheng Zhanxi shook her head, "No need, it's just a few minutes' walk, we'll be there soon. Still need to cook."
She tilted her chin towards Yu Qingtang, signaling her to walk forward. She followed behind, walking side by side towards home.
For Cheng Zhanxi, the weight wasn't too much, but the plastic bag handles dug into her fingers painfully. With both hands full, she couldn't switch hands midway, only letting each knuckle bear the brunt in turn within the maximum range of motion.
She sighed softly inwardly, yet also found it amusing.
When shopping alone, she would never buy so many things, especially snacks. She actually ate very few snacks usually, just habitually kept some on hand in case she wanted them.
Now with Yu Qingtang, one of her great pleasures was constantly feeding her, and Yu Qingtang seemed to enjoy her feeding very much.
Cheng Zhanxi subtly flexed her aching knuckles, holding her breath.
...Next time, she definitely had to restrain herself, buy less.
She was trying to distract herself from the pain in her fingers when suddenly her left hand felt empty; Yu Qingtang had taken the plastic bag with the water chestnuts.
Yu Qingtang said lightly, "Let me."
Even just by the streetlight, one could see Cheng Zhanxi's fair knuckles were red from the strain, contrasting sharply with the skin on the back of her hand and wrist.
Cheng Zhanxi quickly said, "No need."
Yu Qingtang cast her an undeniable glance. Cheng Zhanxi's hand, halfway extended, stopped abruptly in mid-air.
Cheng Zhanxi retracted it, smiled, and said, "Okay, then give it to me at the complex entrance."
Yu Qingtang didn't speak, just walked forward on her own.
Cheng Zhanxi stood in place, gently exhaling.
Just now, Yu Qingtang's stern glance had made her heart surge unexpectedly, making her involuntarily want to obey her command. Could she have masochistic tendencies?
Cheng Zhanxi's lips curved upwards slightly as she quickly caught up.
Building 19.
The young lady at the front desk: "Good evening, you two."
"Good evening," the two replied in unison.
Cheng Zhanxi took a Red Fuji apple from the plastic bag for her, placed it on the desk, and said, "Happy Tuesday."
The young lady smiled so widely her eyes disappeared, "Miss Cheng too." She looked at Yu Qingtang beside her, whose face was as calm as still water, and quickly added, "Miss Yu too."
She managed to swallow the "Wishing you two a hundred years of harmony" just in time. Although the two were a couple, marriage wasn't necessarily the goal for all couples. With more and more people choosing not to marry, it was better not to say the wrong thing.
Yu Qingtang nodded and started walking.
The two entered the elevator together, went up to the 21st floor. Yu Qingtang didn't go back opposite, directly entering 2102.
Cheng Zhanxi entered, put the things down, invited Yu Qingtang to sit first, went to the kitchen to wash a pear for her, peeled and cut it into pieces, handed it over, a smile playing on her lips, "Hope Teacher Yu is happy every day."
Yu Qingtang's expression showed slight surprise before she realized Cheng Zhanxi was responding to what she had said to the receptionist downstairs.
An unwashed apple, a washed and cut pear, Tuesday and every day. Yu Qingtang actually wasn't displeased; she had walked quickly only because she wanted to put the things down sooner, but it didn't stop her mood from lifting slightly because of this.
Yu Qingtang picked up a piece with a fork, lifted her hand, hesitated just before bringing it to Cheng Zhanxi's lips.
That couple's interaction undoubtedly reminded her. She and Cheng Zhanxi were no longer six or seven years old; they couldn't be as intimately close as they were in childhood. Time hadn't passed without leaving traces. What had changed had changed. No matter how much one lived in memories, one had to face reality.
Cheng Zhanxi was a mature woman about to turn twenty-seven.
She shouldn't... face her with the attitude of a seven-year-old anymore.
Yu Qingtang slowly retracted her hand. Just then, Cheng Zhanxi bent down, opened her mouth, and snatched the piece of pear from the fork.
"Delicious." She curved her eyes, held Yu Qingtang's hand, picked up a piece of pear from the fruit plate with the fork, and fed her a piece too.
Sweet juice filled her mouth. Her hand was held by her. Looking at the woman's smiling, bright eyes, the sweetness seemed not just on her taste buds, but also spreading into her heart.
She...
Only this single word appeared in Yu Qingtang's mind, yet the emotion was stronger than any time she thought of Cheng Zhanxi's full name.
Her knuckles curled, she turned her hand outward, clasping Cheng Zhanxi's hand. The fork fell onto the plate with a soft clink.
Yu Qingtang was startled from the brief chaos. Looking again at Cheng Zhanxi's flawless, jade-like face, so close she could see her eyelashes, her pupils contracted slightly.
Cheng Zhanxi retreated slightly, knowingly asking, "Teacher Yu?"
A trace of panic flashed across Yu Qingtang's expression, "No."
Cheng Zhanxi began talking nonsense seriously, "Do you have an opinion about me?"
Yu Qingtang panicked even more, "No!"
Cheng Zhanxi: "Why won't you even feed me pear? Do you want to eat it all yourself?"
Yu Qingtang: "..."
She picked up the fruit plate and picked up a piece for Cheng Zhanxi with the fork.
Cheng Zhanxi turned her head away tsundere-like, "Hmph, too late."
Yu Qingtang put down the fruit plate, helplessly turned her head straight with both hands. Cheng "Oscar-winning folk actress" Zhanxi tilted her face up, just refusing to look at her.
"Hmph!"
According to romance logic, Yu Qingtang should pick up the pear with her mouth and feed it to her mouth-to-mouth here.
Currently, that progress was impossible, but it didn't matter; Cheng Zhanxi had already achieved great satisfaction in her imagination.
Just as Yu Qingtang was helpless, Cheng Zhanxi suddenly laughed out loud, reached over to pinch her ear. Yu Qingtang obediently lowered her eyes, letting her play with it back and forth.
After rubbing the woman's small earlobe until it was red and almost dripping, Cheng Zhanxi finally retracted her hand, smiling, "I'm going to the kitchen to cook. Want to join?"
She changed her tune so quickly. Yu Qingtang, afraid she had new tricks, agreed quickly, "Okay."
Cheng Zhanxi suddenly dragged out her voice coquettishly, "Sister Yu, I'm tired..." accompanied by extending both hands for a hug.
Because Yu Qingtang's psychological age in her mind was getting younger and younger, she rarely called her this anymore. Today, on a whim, wanting to act cute, she called her that again.
Yu Qingtang's expression was strange.
Back in the countryside, Cheng Zhanxi used to call her "little sister" constantly.
Cheng Zhanxi: "?"
Before she could figure it out, Yu Qingtang hugged her, the corners of her lips turning upwards.
She suddenly realized, the one in her arms was the little sister.
After hugging enough, Yu Qingtang gently patted her back and said, "Cooking?"
Cheng Zhanxi rested her chin in her shoulder nook, blinking her eyes in shock.
Did I get a real older sister?!
Yu Qingtang's voice held an unconscious softness, "If we don't go now, it'll be too late." Saying this, she pulled Cheng Zhanxi up.
Cheng Zhanxi dazedly let her lead her to the kitchen.
The ingredients for cooking were already on the kitchen counter. Seeing her absent-minded, Yu Qingtang simply picked up the small golden pumpkin herself, turned on the faucet, washed it under the water, asking as she did, "How should the pumpkin be handled?"
Cheng Zhanxi subconsciously replied, "Wash and slice."
Yu Qingtang nodded, "Okay."
Her movements were skilled as she washed the dirt off the pumpkin. Her slender white fingers were enveloped by the flowing water, her knuckles distinct. Her profile was focused, thin lips lightly pursed, pleasing to the eye.
Cheng Zhanxi watched distractedly for a while, then scooped a cup of rice from the cabinet.
Yu Qingtang removed the pumpkin skin with a kitchen knife and cut it in half on the cutting board.
"Thick or thin?" she asked.
Cheng Zhanxi had just added water to wash the rice. She tilted her head to look and said, "Thin, but not too thin, needs to be stir-fried."
Yu Qingtang understood, picked up the kitchen knife, and cut it into evenly thick pumpkin slices.
Her movements were nimble, completely different from her usual reaction speed. Cheng Zhanxi hadn't even finished washing the rice when she heard her ask, "What else?"
"Dice the pork belly. The meat is in the bag to your left."
Cheng Zhanxi set the washed rice aside and went outside to get the soaked dried scallops from the fridge.
Cheng Zhanxi handled the cooking herself.
After the pot was hot, she poured in a small amount of oil, added the diced pork belly. The aroma of meat burst from the pot. Then she added scallion segments and stir-fried.
The range hood hummed.
Cheng Zhanxi turned back, raised her voice, "Teacher Yu, wait for me outside."
Just as she finished speaking, her vision was occupied by a splash of light green.
Yu Qingtang came over holding an apron. Cheng Zhanxi turned the heat down, raised both hands high, letting Yu Qingtang put the apron on for her. Yu Qingtang stood in front of her, wrapped her hands around her waist from behind, her long fingers nimbly tying a slipknot.
She lifted her head from Cheng Zhanxi's shoulder nook, her ear unintentionally brushing against the woman's soft lips.
Yu Qingtang's knuckles tightened. She stood up straight nonchalantly, avoiding Cheng Zhanxi's gaze from above, retreating to her previous distance.
She didn't leave the kitchen, afraid she would let her thoughts run wild.
She focused her attention on the pot.
Cheng Zhanxi added the soaked dried scallops, dried shrimp skin, seasoned with oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and cooking wine, stir-frying. Then she successively added the sliced pumpkin and washed rice, stir-frying evenly.
An enticing aroma wafted from the pot.
This pot went into the rice cooker, water was added, the lid closed, and the cooking setting activated.
Cheng Zhanxi turned back and looked at Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Cheng Zhanxi watched her walk over step by step, her gaze bottomlessly deep. Alarm bells rang in Yu Qingtang's mind, as if a bottomless abyss approached ahead; one more step and she would be shattered. She turned, pulled open the door, and quickly went out.
Yu Qingtang walked quickly all the way to the door of 2102, unsure why she felt suddenly panicked and short of breath. It vaguely pointed to an answer she subconsciously didn't want to face.
Yu Qingtang faced the dark brown iron door, quietly calmed herself for a moment, then turned around.
Cheng Zhanxi wasn't behind her.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
Having agreed to help, besides cutting the pumpkin and pork belly at the beginning, Yu Qingtang basically stayed outside afterward.
After saying goodbye to Cheng Zhanxi, she went back to 2101, closing her eyes to clear her mind in her own cold living room.
[Dinner's ready]
The phone on the coffee table vibrated; Cheng Zhanxi had sent her a message.
Yu Qingtang splashed cold water on her face, got up, and went opposite.
The dishes Yu Qingtang had ordered beforehand were already on the table: sweet and sour ribs, blanched shrimp, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, tomato and egg soup, colorful and fragrant.
The pumpkin rice was already cooked. Stirred slightly and served, the rice grains were coated with soft, sticky pumpkin, golden in color. The savory aroma of dried scallops and shrimp skin mingled with the fresh sweetness of the pumpkin in the air, making one's mouth water.
Yu Qingtang accepted the chopsticks Cheng Zhanxi handed her from opposite, took a bite. Under Cheng Zhanxi's expectant gaze, Yu Qingtang bloomed into a very faint smile, her voice soft, "Delicious."
Cheng Zhanxi also smiled, "I'll make you something else next time, like water caltrop rice? But we have to wait until next summer when the water caltrops mature. Porridge is delicious too."
Cheng Zhanxi's reflection appeared in Yu Qingtang's eyes. The corners of her eyes curved up as she said, "Okay."
Cheng Zhanxi picked up a piece of rib for her, amber and glossy, the sugar glaze enticing.
Yu Qingtang accepted it with her bowl.
"You eat too."
Cheng Zhanxi hummed in agreement and peeled a shrimp for her.
After Yu Qingtang had tasted every dish and given a "delicious" evaluation, Cheng Zhanxi finally picked up her chopsticks to eat herself.
Cheng Zhanxi observed the etiquette of not speaking while eating, and Yu Qingtang disliked talking much. This meal was quiet and warm.
Yu Qingtang ate slowly; Cheng Zhanxi matched her pace. Tiny dust motes floated in the air, like specks of light under the lamp, but none were as bright as Yu Qingtang before her eyes.
Cheng Zhanxi had never liked someone so much before, liked them so much she couldn't explain why.
Her meeting Yu Qingtang was like Impressionism meeting light.
It was the romance of Monet painting "Impression, Sunrise" at the port of Le Havre.
She was deeply intoxicated by this feeling.
"I'll wash the dishes." After finishing the meal, Yu Qingtang, as always, gathered the bowls, chopsticks, and plates.
"Okay." Cheng Zhanxi's gaze followed her, watching her back, watching the corner of her clothes lift, her heart filling with infinite tenderness.
She rested her cheek on her hand, her gaze soft as she looked towards the kitchen, motionless for a long time.
Yu Qingtang came out of the kitchen. Cheng Zhanxi lowered her hand, casually bringing it to her lips, coughing lightly, afraid of revealing the overly intense emotion in her eyes.
"Go out for a walk?" Cheng Zhanxi suggested gently.
Yu Qingtang shook her head.
"Then stroll around the apartment for a bit?"
Nodded.
"I..." Cheng Zhanxi pointed towards the kitchen. Looking at Yu Qingtang, she couldn't stop her eyes from curving. Clearing her throat again, she managed to continue, "I'm going to knead dough, planning to wrap some dumplings tonight."
"Finished the ones from last time?"
"Still a little left. I'll wrap some with a different filling. Give me the water chestnuts from the coffee table, the peeled ones."
Yu Qingtang took them into the kitchen for her, asking curiously, "Can these be wrapped into the filling too?"
"Yes, dice them small."
"Let me." Yu Qingtang volunteered.
Cheng Zhanxi agreed with a smile.
This was exactly her intention.
Yu Qingtang clearly had high talent in cooking, didn't seem like the type too lazy to cook, just lacked interest. She wasn't interested in anything, hmm, except herself—herself in the capacity of a good friend.
It was fine not mentioning "good friend," but mentioning it made Cheng Zhanxi feel the development of this matter was a bit strange.
She was prepared for a long battle, starting from friends, but there's a difference between friends and good friends. Before this week, she was at most Yu Qingtang's ordinary friend. After this week, it was as if she were the only friend Yu Qingtang recognized in this lifetime, letting her mold her however she pleased without getting angry.
For someone as self-enclosed as Yu Qingtang, dating her would probably only reach this extent, right?
Under Cheng Zhanxi's guidance, Yu Qingtang enthusiastically diced the peeled water chestnuts, not forgetting to feed Cheng Zhanxi midway.
Cheng Zhanxi was adding water to the flour, her hands occupied, "You eat too. Anyway, there are many, we two can't finish them."
Yu Qingtang had a flash of insight, "So that's why you decided to wrap dumplings?"
Cheng Zhanxi looked at her with a brilliant smile, "Smart."
Yu Qingtang's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes also brightening with light, showing a hint of embarrassment.
Cheng Zhanxi's thoughts stirred. Continuing in a praising tone, she said with a smile, "How is our Yu Tangtang so smart?"
Yu Qingtang's face instantly turned red. She quickly turned her back to her.
Cheng Zhanxi took both hands off the dough, put them behind her back, walked over, leaned close to her ear, "Yu Tangtang?"
Redness spread from the base of Yu Qingtang's ears, extending like fiery clouds down her snow-white neck.
She stood there almost helplessly.
Unsure if it was because of the intimate address or the woman's warm breath by her ear, or perhaps both.
Cheng Zhanxi deeply regretted not having washed her hands and come over now; otherwise, she could have hugged her.
But not hugging had its own developments. Cheng Zhanxi moved away slightly, lest Yu Qingtang spontaneously combust from excessive shyness. She asked, "Do you have a nickname?"
Yu Qingtang shook her head.
Fang Wenjiao and her grandfather called her Momo, but this name was only because she was born a "mute," not given out of love and cherish by her parents. To her, it was just a label, no different from calling a cat or dog.
Cheng Zhanxi said, "I have one, I'm called Xixi."
Yu Qingtang said, "I know."
Cheng Zhanxi said, "I'll tell you something you don't know."
Yu Qingtang turned her face to look at her.
Cheng Zhanxi cleared her throat, as if making solemn preparations before a speech. She said, "I have an older brother, my brother is called Cheng Yuanxi. He's three years older than me. After he was born, my parents called him Xixi."
Yu Qingtang seemed to somewhat anticipate the later development, raising an eyebrow very slightly.
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Two years later, my mom got pregnant and gave birth to me. They named me Zhanxi based on the allusion used for my brother's name. Then I needed a nickname too; it wasn't fair that my brother had one and I didn't. My parents discussed it with my brother, saying, 'Little sister is still small, why don't you give the nickname to her? Xixi sounds better for a girl than a boy. We'll give you another one.'"
Yu Qingtang laughed.
"Did he agree?"
"He agreed. He thought the nickname was too girly, perfect to give to me." Cheng Zhanxi shrugged, saying, "Who knew that years later he would become a cross-dressing big shot?"
"Ah?" Yu Qingtang thought: Why are there so many cross-dressing big shots around you?
Her thoughts inevitably diverged, her gaze sweeping over Cheng Zhanxi from top to bottom.
Cheng Zhanxi didn't notice her subtle gaze, smiling, "Do you know what a cross-dressing big shot is?"
Yu Qingtang said, "I know."
Cheng Zhanxi raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Hmm?"
Yu Qingtang reminded her, "Before at the bar, you had a friend with you, wasn't he one?"
Cheng Zhanxi: "!!!"
Only when she said it did Cheng Zhanxi remember this misunderstanding. She almost slapped her forehead with her flour-covered hand, quickly explaining between laughter and tears, "She's not, I lied to you."
Yu Qingtang: "?"
Cheng Zhanxi: "Her name is Yu Jianxing. She's a friend I met while studying at the Paris Academy of Fine Arts, studying sculpture."
Yu Jianxing?
Yu Qingtang silently repeated the name in her heart. Why did Cheng Zhanxi's friend's name sound so nice too?
Cheng Zhanxi continued, "I... hmm, ran away from home because of some things, came to Sicheng to seek refuge with her. The apartment I lived in before was provided by a friend she contacted. She's a really good person."
Yu Qingtang thought: Because of what things?
But she didn't ask aloud.
Cheng Zhanxi: "She took me to the bar that day. I usually don't like going to such places, too noisy."
Hearing this, Yu Qingtang gave her a subtle glance, as if saying: Can the bar be noisier than you?
Cheng Zhanxi, as if telepathic, magically understood her meaning. She ground her teeth angrily. Because her hands were occupied, she simply bumped Yu Qingtang's forehead lightly with her own.
Yu Qingtang let out a small sound, raised a hand to rub it, yet her eyes held tiny, bright sparks of laughter.
Cheng Zhanxi hmphed.
Yu Qingtang rubbed hers too.
Cheng Zhanxi returned to the glass bowl to continue kneading dough, saying, "Didn't I meet you later? Asking for my health report right away..." She mumbled this part, her tone sounding a bit like a child's sulking.
"Yu Jianxing was just joining the fun. I felt she wasn't reliable for you, so I said she was male." Cheng Zhanxi's thoughts suddenly stirred, naturally bringing up another topic, asking in a casual tone, "Yu Tangtang, why did you go to the bar?"
Yu Qingtang awkwardly curled her knuckles, thought for a moment, and said, "Encountered... an unhappy matter."
Cheng Zhanxi: "Then why did you go to a lesbian bar?"
"I looked it up online. This place had good reviews, wasn't that chaotic." As a good girl since childhood, Yu Qingtang's understanding of bars was limited to movies, pictures, and text—colorful lights, chaotic dancing. That's why she had staked it out for so long, hesitating to decide.
Cheng Zhanxi skipped the question of why she wanted a one-night stand, choosing to ask more gently, "Why choose a woman?"
Yu Qingtang answered almost without thinking, "Women are safe." She was timid, afraid of encountering a series of uncontrollable events if she sought out a man.
Just that.
It had nothing to do with her sexual orientation, nor did it mean she liked women. Cheng Zhanxi's previous guess was correct.
Men, women, transgender people, etc.—all people were the same in her eyes, no interest, collectively labeled as "human," could be replaced by a set of data without issue. She had no family affection, no romantic love. Friendship had long been lost in the small countryside village twenty years ago, isolated from the world.
She never had the concept of emotion internally. How could you blame someone who hadn't known what emotion was for over twenty years for not being able to distinguish their differences? Twenty years later, she picked up her friendship again, along with all the burning passion, giving it all to Cheng Zhanxi alone.
She still disliked this world; she only liked Cheng Zhanxi.
She fell once in this fallen world, but Cheng Zhanxi saw her fall. She didn't want her to see.
A layer of mist quickly gathered in Yu Qingtang's eyes.
"Cheng Zhanxi."
"Hmm?"
"Forget about what happened that night, okay?"
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